Droning off Proposal to deter gulls by using gadget gets no from report
COUNCIL officers have ruled out using a drone to deter gulls from irritating Cheltenham residents because the town is too close to Gloucestershire Airport.
The gadget was proposed by councillors last year to spot rooftop nests that could then be targeted by prevention methods in a bid to tackle the pesky birds.
Spotting the gulls’ homes with the drone would have meant officials could oil more eggs to prevent them hatching.
But a Cheltenham Borough Council report, published this week, shows the proposal has been turned down by officers due to the town being within 5km of Gloucestershire Airport’s runway.
The decision comes after flights were suspended for 30 hours at Gatwick Airport after drone sightings, causing chaos for 140,00 passengers.
The report added the authority cannot use the drone due to the complications behind privacy issues.
The drone was part of a series of recommendations a borough council working group set up to crackdown on gulls in the town, which are causing sleepless nights for residents.
Of them, a drone was advised for purchase as well as working with the highways authority - Gloucestershire
County Council - to temporarily close roads “more easily to allow a more nimble approach to treating nests”.
Council officers have now responded to the proposals set out by the working group last November.
A report presented to the borough council’s overview and scrutiny committee at the time said urban gull colonies have risen from 239 in 2000 to 473 in 2015 - an increase of nearly 100 per cent.
In February, senior councillors approved a £10,000 plan to target the gulls in Cheltenham.
According to the borough council report, two different types of gull-proof bins are being trialled in Warden Hill, with further plans to trial bins costing as much as £4,500 in High Street and parks.
The document also said a media plan costing approximately £2,000, including a social media targeting campaign, has been drawn up.
If money is left over, bin stickers, banners and adverts could be considered.
In June last year, an official ruled out shooting the gulls as a permanent solution - an option the authority reportedly once considered in 2010.
Cheltenham Borough Council’s overview and scrutiny committee will be presented the report on August 19, from 6pm.
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